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“Mary Poppins” Flying High This Week
Broadway Ticket Sales Report
Week ending March 18, 2007
By Carol-Ann Rudy
Another bonus week on Broadway! The gross was up again, $18,294,928 compared to last week’s $18,114,084. And like last week, the same four productions, all musicals, lead the pack: “Wicked” at $1,388,693, up from last week; “Mary Poppins” at $1,188,689, up from last week; “Jersey Boys” at $1,160,591, down slightly from last week; and “The Lion King” at $1,129,632, up considerably.
Altogether, fourteen productions fared at 90% or better in filling their houses.
It should be noted that the numbers for “The Coast of Utopia” last week are combined: “Part 1 – Voyage” played three performances, “Part 2 – Shipwreck” played two performances, and “Part 3 – Salvage” played two performances. This helps explain the increase in gross receipts of about $25,000 over the previous reporting period, from $530,101 to $576,164 this past week.
Still struggling was the play, “Journey’s End,” grossing only $160,856 at about 42% capacity. Its potential ticket sales income is listed as $597,241; a fairly large discrepancy. Examining causes for this brings to light that its average ticket sale is just $46.58. Only “Prelude to a Kiss” posted a lower average ticket sale of $41.89. However, that production is making a better showing at about 69% capacity, $170,071 in ticket sales, and a lot fewer seats. By comparison, the play “The Year of Magical Thinking” has made an excellent early show of returns, with $408,605, filled to 95% capacity.
“The Pirate Queen,” a musical by the Tony Award-winning creators of “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon,” has been in previews at the Hilton Theatre since March 6 and opens April 5. It’s doing well with $590,498 in ticket sales and 81% capacity this past week.
Broadway Gross Reports, March 12–18, 2007
All data provided by The League of American Theatres and Producers
| Production (Theatre) | Weekly Gross | Total Atten. | Prev. | Perf. | Total Capacity | Avg. Ticket Price | Atten. % |
| A Chorus Line (Schoenfeld) | $706,622 | 8,237 | 0 | 8 | 1,069 | $85.79 | 96.3% |
| Avenue Q (Golden) | $349,841 | 5,177 | 0 | 8 | 796 | $67.58 | 81.3% |
| Beauty and Beast (Lunt-Fontanne) | $723,533 | 11,876 | 0 | 8 | 1,509 | $60.92 | 98.4% |
| Chicago (Ambassador) | $555,779 | 7,996 | 0 | 8 | 1,080 | $69.51 | 92.5% |
| Company (Barrymore) | $331,414 | 5,219 | 0 | 8 | 1,046 | $63.50 | 62.4% |
| Curtains (Hirschfeld) | $653,484 | 9,569 | 8 | 0 | 1,422 | $68.29 | 84.1% |
| Grey Gardens (Kerr) | $364,540 | 5,260 | 0 | 8 | 922 | $69.30 | 71.3% |
| Hairspray (Neil Simon) | $660,505 | 10,463 | 0 | 8 | 1,428 | $63.13 | 91.6% |
| Jersey Boys (August Wilson) | $1,160,591 | 9,843 | 0 | 8 | 1,222 | $117.91 | 100.7% |
| Journey’s End (Belasco) | $160,856 | 3,453 | 0 | 8 | 1,017 | $46.58 | 42.4% |
| Les Miserables (Broadhurst) | $612,192 | 7,948 | 0 | 8 | 1,122 | $77.02 | 88.5% |
| Mamma Mia! (Cadillac Winter Garden) | $867,128 | 11,728 | 0 | 8 | 1,498 | $73.94 | 97.9% |
| Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam) | $1,188,689 | 14,270 | 0 | 8 | 1,791 | $83.30 | 99.6% |
| Prelude to a Kiss (American Airlines) | $170,071 | 4,060 | 0 | 8 | 740 | $41.89 | 68.6% |
| Rent (Nederlander) | $425,879 | 7,371 | 0 | 8 | 1,181 | $57.78 | 78.0% |
| Spamalot (Shubert) | $836,446 | 10,450 | 0 | 8 | 1,441 | $80.04 | 90.6% |
| Spring Awakening (O’Neill) | $535,772 | 7,282 | 0 | 8 | 1,090 | $73.57 | 83.5% |
| Talk Radio (Longacre) | $267,631 | 5,113 | 0 | 8 | 1,095 | $52.34 | 58.4% |
| Tarzan (Rodgers) | $644,115 | 9,582 | 0 | 8 | 1,319 | $67.22 | 90.8% |
| The 25th…Bee (Circle in Square) | $229,002 | 4,212 | 0 | 8 | 684 | $54.37 | 77.0% |
| The Coast of Utopia (Beaumont) | $576,164 | 6,720 | 0 | 7 | 1,047 | $85.74 | 91.7% |
| The Color Purple (Broadway) | $718,899 | 11,177 | 0 | 8 | 1,718 | $64.32 | 81.3% |
| The Drowsy Chaperone (Marquis) | $828,384 | 11,306 | 0 | 8 | 1,611 | $73.27 | 87.7% |
| The Lion King (Minskoff) | $1,129,632 | 12,687 | 0 | 8 | 1,598 | $89.04 | 99.2% |
| The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic) | $780,406 | 12,315 | 0 | 8 | 1,607 | $63.37 | 95.8% |
| The Pirate Queen (Hilton) | $590,498 | 10,210 | 7 | 0 | 1,799 | $57.84 | 81.1% |
| The Producers (St. James) | $429,558 | 6,969 | 0 | 8 | 1,706 | $61.64 | 51.1% |
| The Year…Thinking (Booth) | $408,605 | 5,202 | 7 | 0 | 782 | $78.55 | 95.0% |
| Wicked (Gershwin) | $1,388,693 | 14,472 | 0 | 8 | 1,809 | $95.96 | 100.0% |
Comparison with Previous Week
| Production (Theatre) | Weekly Gross | Last Week’s Gross | $ Change | Atten. % | Last Week’s Atten. % | Atten. % Change |
| A Chorus Line (Schoenfeld) | $706,622 | $645,359 | $61,263 | 96.3% | 82.5% | 13.8% |
| Avenue Q (Golden) | $349,841 | $370,293 | -$20,452 | 81.3% | 86.3% | -5.0% |
| Beauty and Beast (Lunt-Fontanne) | $723,533 | $654,897 | $68,636 | 98.4% | 91.4% | 6.9% |
| Chicago (Ambassador) | $555,779 | $485,369 | $70,410 | 92.5% | 80.2% | 12.3% |
| Company (Barrymore) | $331,414 | $327,325 | $4,089 | 62.4% | 57.2% | 5.2% |
| Curtains (Hirschfeld) | $653,484 | $556,019 | $97,465 | 84.1% | 70.3% | 13.8% |
| Grey Gardens (Kerr) | $364,540 | $374,926 | -$10,386 | 71.3% | 69.8% | 1.5% |
| Hairspray (Neil Simon) | $660,505 | $554,699 | $105,806 | 91.6% | 81.0% | 10.6% |
| Jersey Boys (August Wilson) | $1,160,591 | $1,178,547 | -$17,956 | 100.7% | 100.6% | 0.1% |
| Journey’s End (Belasco) | $160,856 | $149,846 | $11,010 | 42.4% | 38.6% | 3.8% |
| Les Miserables (Broadhurst) | $612,192 | $672,531 | -$60,339 | 88.5% | 94.2% | -5.6% |
| Mamma Mia! (Cadillac Winter Garden) | $867,128 | $850,051 | $17,077 | 97.9% | 93.6% | 4.3% |
| Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam) | $1,188,689 | $1,025,733 | $162,955 | 99.6% | 88.2% | 11.4% |
| Prelude to a Kiss (American Airlines) | $170,071 | $152,747 | $17,323 | 68.6% | 59.4% | 9.2% |
| Rent (Nederlander) | $425,879 | $369,276 | $56,603 | 78.0% | 68.1% | 9.9% |
| Spamalot (Shubert) | $836,446 | $794,896 | $41,550 | 90.6% | 90.9% | -0.3% |
| Spring Awakening (O’Neill) | $535,772 | $529,696 | $6,076 | 83.5% | 81.9% | 1.6% |
| Talk Radio (Longacre) | $267,631 | $188,081 | $79,551 | 58.4% | 51.0% | 7.4% |
| Tarzan (Rodgers) | $644,115 | $562,095 | $82,020 | 90.8% | 80.3% | 10.5% |
| The 25th…Bee (Circle in Square) | $229,002 | $222,155 | $6,847 | 77.0% | 71.6% | 5.3% |
| The Coast of Utopia (Beaumont) | $576,164 | $530,101 | $46,063 | 91.7% | 92.6% | -0.9% |
| The Color Purple (Broadway) | $718,899 | $716,623 | $2,275 | 81.3% | 80.7% | 0.6% |
| The Drowsy Chaperone (Marquis) | $828,384 | $725,614 | $102,770 | 87.7% | 73.1% | 14.6% |
| The Lion King (Minskoff) | $1,129,632 | $1,027,155 | $102,477 | 99.2% | 90.2% | 9.0% |
| The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic) | $780,406 | $655,893 | $124,513 | 95.8% | 80.6% | 15.2% |
| The Pirate Queen (Hilton) | $590,498 | $615,585 | -$25,087 | 81.1% | 85.2% | -4.2% |
| The Producers (St. James) | $429,558 | $557,529 | -$127,971 | 51.1% | 63.3% | -12.3% |
| The Year…Thinking (Booth) | $408,605 | $373,164 | $35,440 | 95.0% | 94.1% | 1.0% |
| Wicked (Gershwin) | $1,388,693 | $1,370,150 | $18,543 | 100.0% | 99.9% | 0.1% |
